Using MCP servers with the GitHub Copilot SDK

참고

This is an evolving feature. See issue #36 for ongoing discussion.

What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard for connecting AI assistants to external tools and data sources. MCP servers can:

Execute code or scripts
Query databases
Access file systems
Call external APIs
And much more

Server types

The SDK supports two types of MCP servers:

Type	Description	Use Case
Local/Stdio	Runs as a subprocess, communicates via stdin/stdout	Local tools, file access, custom scripts
HTTP/SSE	Remote server accessed via HTTP	Shared services, cloud-hosted tools

Configuration

Node.js / TypeScript

import { CopilotClient } from "@github/copilot-sdk";

const client = new CopilotClient();
const session = await client.createSession({
    model: "gpt-5",
    mcpServers: {
        // Local MCP server (stdio)
        "my-local-server": {
            type: "local",
            command: "node",
            args: ["./mcp-server.js"],
            env: { DEBUG: "true" },
            cwd: "./servers",
            tools: ["*"],  // "*" = all tools, [] = none, or list specific tools
            timeout: 30000,
        },
        // Remote MCP server (HTTP)
        "github": {
            type: "http",
            url: "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
            headers: { "Authorization": "Bearer ${TOKEN}" },
            tools: ["*"],
        },
    },
});

Python

import asyncio
from copilot import CopilotClient
from copilot.session import PermissionHandler

async def main():
    client = CopilotClient()
    await client.start()

    session = await client.create_session(on_permission_request=PermissionHandler.approve_all, model="gpt-5", mcp_servers={
        # Local MCP server (stdio)
        "my-local-server": {
            "type": "local",
            "command": "python",
            "args": ["./mcp_server.py"],
            "env": {"DEBUG": "true"},
            "cwd": "./servers",
            "tools": ["*"],
            "timeout": 30000,
        },
        # Remote MCP server (HTTP)
        "github": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
            "headers": {"Authorization": "Bearer ${TOKEN}"},
            "tools": ["*"],
        },
    })

    response = await session.send_and_wait("List my recent GitHub notifications")
    print(response.data.content)

    await client.stop()

asyncio.run(main())

Go

package main

import (
    "context"
    "log"
    copilot "github.com/github/copilot-sdk/go"
)

func main() {
    ctx := context.Background()
    client := copilot.NewClient(nil)
    if err := client.Start(ctx); err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    defer client.Stop()

    session, err := client.CreateSession(ctx, &copilot.SessionConfig{
        Model: "gpt-5",
        MCPServers: map[string]copilot.MCPServerConfig{
            "my-local-server": copilot.MCPStdioServerConfig{
                Command: "node",
                Args:    []string{"./mcp-server.js"},
                Tools:   &[]string{"*"},
            },
        },
    })
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    defer session.Disconnect()

    // Use the session...
}

.NET

using GitHub.Copilot;

await using var client = new CopilotClient();
await using var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    Model = "gpt-5",
    McpServers = new Dictionary<string, McpServerConfig>
    {
        ["my-local-server"] = new McpStdioServerConfig
        {
            Command = "node",
            Args = new List<string> { "./mcp-server.js" },
            Tools = new List<string> { "*" },
        },
    },
});

Tool configuration

You can control which tools are available to an MCP server using the tools field.

Allow all tools

Use "*" to enable all tools provided by the MCP server:

tools: ["*"]

Allow specific tools

Provide a list of tool names to restrict access:

tools: ["bash", "edit"]

Only the listed tools will be available to the agent.

Disable all tools

Use an empty array to disable all tools:

tools: []

Notes

The tools field defines which tools are allowed.
There is no separate allow or disallow configuration—tool access is controlled directly through this list.

Quick start: filesystem MCP server

Here's a complete working example using the official @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem MCP server:

import { CopilotClient } from "@github/copilot-sdk";

async function main() {
    const client = new CopilotClient();

    // Create session with filesystem MCP server
    const session = await client.createSession({
        mcpServers: {
            filesystem: {
                type: "local",
                command: "npx",
                args: ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/tmp"],
                tools: ["*"],
            },
        },
    });

    console.log("Session created:", session.sessionId);

    // The model can now use filesystem tools
    const result = await session.sendAndWait({
        prompt: "List the files in the allowed directory",
    });

    console.log("Response:", result?.data?.content);

    await session.disconnect();
    await client.stop();
}

main();

Output:

Session created: 18b3482b-bcba-40ba-9f02-ad2ac949a59a
Response: The allowed directory is `/tmp`, which contains various files
and subdirectories including temporary system files, log files, and
directories for different applications.

팁

You can use any MCP server from the MCP Servers Directory. Popular options include @modelcontextprotocol/server-github, @modelcontextprotocol/server-sqlite, and @modelcontextprotocol/server-puppeteer.

Configuration options

Local/stdio server

Property	Type	Required	Description
`type`	`"local"` or `"stdio"`	No	Server type (defaults to local)
`command`	`string`	Yes	Command to execute
`args`	`string[]`	Yes	Command arguments
`env`	`object`	No	Environment variables
`cwd`	`string`	No	Working directory
`tools`	`string[]`	No	Tools to enable (`["*"]` for all, `[]` for none)
`timeout`	`number`	No	Timeout in milliseconds

Remote server (HTTP/SSE)

Property	Type	Required	Description
`type`	`"http"` or `"sse"`	Yes	Server type
`url`	`string`	Yes	Server URL
`headers`	`object`	No	HTTP headers (e.g., for auth)
`tools`	`string[]`	No	Tools to enable
`timeout`	`number`	No	Timeout in milliseconds

Troubleshooting

Tools not showing up or not being invoked

Verify the MCP server starts correctly
- Check that the command and args are correct
- Ensure the server process doesn't crash on startup
- Look for error output in stderr
Check tool configuration
- Make sure tools is set to ["*"] or lists the specific tools you need
- An empty array [] means no tools are enabled
Verify connectivity for remote servers
- Ensure the URL is accessible
- Check that authentication headers are correct

Common issues

Issue	Solution
"MCP server not found"	Verify the command path is correct and executable
"Connection refused" (HTTP)	Check the URL and ensure the server is running
"Timeout" errors	Increase the `timeout` value or check server performance
Tools work but aren't called	Ensure your prompt clearly requires the tool's functionality

For detailed debugging guidance, see the MCP 서버 디버깅 가이드.

Model Context Protocol Specification
MCP Servers Directory - Community MCP servers
GitHub MCP Server - Official GitHub MCP server
첫 번째 Copilot 기반 앱 빌드 - SDK basics and custom tools
디버깅 가이드 - SDK-wide debugging

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